Xabi Alonso has barely been out of work, yet his name is already back at the top of the Premier League wish list.
The former Real Madrid coach, dismissed in January after a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, is being lined up for a return to the dugout in England next season. According to British outlet The Sun, Liverpool and Manchester City are both positioning themselves for a shot at the 42-year-old, whose stock remains sky-high after his extraordinary spell at Bayer Leverkusen.
At Leverkusen, Alonso built his reputation at breakneck speed. He delivered an unbeaten Bundesliga title in 2023–24 and added the German Cup for good measure, transforming the club into one of Europe’s most compelling sides. That body of work still looms large, even after his short and turbulent stay at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Now, as the managerial carousel threatens to spin again next summer, Alonso sits right at the centre of it.
Liverpool pressure, familiar face
Liverpool know him well. They know what he represents to the fanbase, and they know what he has already proven on the touchline.
Alonso spent a defining spell of his playing career at Anfield, where he helped deliver the 2005 Champions League in that unforgettable night in Istanbul. For many Liverpool supporters, he is more than a former midfielder; he is a symbol of a certain era and a certain standard.
That history suddenly feels relevant again.
The report claims Alonso is viewed as a leading candidate to replace Arne Slot if Liverpool choose to make a change at the end of the season. Pressure on the Dutchman has escalated sharply after a bruising week: a heavy 4-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals and a worrying dip in Premier League form have reopened questions about the direction of the project.
Slot, 47, arrived with a reputation for progressive football and strong dressing-room management. Now he finds himself fighting to steady the ship while the name of a club legend hovers in the background.
City’s succession puzzle
Liverpool are not alone in their interest. The same report states that Manchester City are also tracking Alonso as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola, should the Catalan walk away at the end of the current campaign.
The uncertainty around Guardiola’s future is growing. Multiple media outlets have suggested this could be his final season at the Etihad Stadium, and City’s hierarchy cannot afford to be caught unprepared if their era-defining manager decides he has reached the end of the road in Manchester.
Alonso fits the profile City tend to favour: tactically sophisticated, steeped in elite football environments, and already proven as a leader of a major project. His Leverkusen side played with a clear identity and control, traits that would appeal to a club built in Guardiola’s image.
If Guardiola does step aside, City will face the most important appointment of their modern history. The idea that they could go head-to-head with Liverpool for the same man only adds another layer of intrigue to an already tense rivalry.
A looming tug-of-war
Alonso’s brief, bruising stint at Real Madrid has not dulled the appetite for his services. His achievements in Germany still dominate the conversation, and his next move looks set to shape the managerial landscape at the very top of English football.
Liverpool, wrestling with inconsistency and the weight of expectation, may soon have to decide whether to double down on Slot or turn to a familiar hero. City, staring at the possibility of life after Guardiola, are quietly mapping out a future that might hinge on convincing one man to lead their next chapter.
One thing seems certain: if Alonso does return to the Premier League next summer, he will not be walking into a quiet job.
